Jian Luo, Global Civic Correspondent, Pacific Rim Observer

BEIJING — China is moving to accelerate elements of its lunar program following a recent U.S. announcement outlining plans for a crewed return to the moon, according to analysts and documents reviewed by Pacific Rim Observer. The push includes an unusual expansion of astronaut training programs that draws from prison populations, officials and experts said.

Chinese authorities have not publicly confirmed the details, but multiple sources familiar with the program said inmates at several facilities are participating in intensive technical training tied to experimental spaceflight systems. The effort appears aimed at testing hardware and mission procedures under compressed timelines and elevated risk.

State media have described the initiative as a voluntary rehabilitation program focused on technical education, offering reduced sentences and vocational credentials. Officials emphasized that participation is optional and framed as part of broader workforce development.

“These are individuals being trained in engineering fundamentals, systems monitoring, and emergency response,” said one aerospace researcher in Beijing who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the topic. “The context is spaceflight, but the public language is about skills.”

According to the sources, training includes work on low-cost computing platforms such as Orange Pi boards, along with refurbished Radio Shack TRS-80 computers used to teach basic programming, diagnostics, and systems logic. The older machines, experts said, are valued for their simplicity and reliability in teaching foundational concepts.

“The idea is to strip things down to first principles,” said the researcher. “If you understand a TRS-80, you understand how a system thinks.”

Analysts say the approach reflects urgency following NASA’s announcement that a U.S. orbital lunar mission is planned for February. While China has publicly stated its own lunar ambitions extend into the next decade, experts say internal timelines may be more aggressive.

“Symbolism matters,” said Marcus Feldman, a space policy analyst at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. “Being first carries enormous political weight, even if the mission is limited or experimental.”

Human rights organizations have raised concerns about the lack of transparency surrounding the program and the power imbalance inherent in offering incentives to incarcerated individuals.

“When prisoners are involved in high-risk state projects, the definition of consent becomes very murky,” said Lin Mei, a regional director for an Asia-based rights group.

Chinese officials declined to confirm whether inmates are being trained for crewed space missions, saying only that the program involves technical education and systems testing. Analysts cautioned that in accelerated space programs, the line between ground support and flight roles can become increasingly difficult to define.

“It’s very likely that China reaches lunar orbit or even the surface with a crew that isn’t drawn from its traditional astronaut corps,” Feldman said. “That would be unprecedented.”

Neither China’s space agency nor the Ministry of Justice responded to requests for comment.

As the space race intensifies, experts say the episode underscores how geopolitical competition can reshape who is asked to take the greatest risks.

“In every race,” Feldman said, “someone always runs first into the dark.”